Could this be the contraceptive jab for men that really works?

Researchers have been investigating potentials for male contraceptives for years. Here we are in 2016, potentially one step closer. A contraceptive injection for men, developed by scientists, has been found to be 96% effective at preventing pregnancies – a very similar level to the female contraceptive pill.

The study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) found that a precise mixture of progesterone and testosterone lowered sperm count, making men temporarily infertile. The hormone-based jab is designed to lower sperm counts by acting on the brain's pituitary gland. Men are constantly producing sperm, and high levels of hormones are needed to reduce levels from the normal sperm count of over 15 million per millilitre to under one million/ml.

The team of scientists found that hormone injections administered every eight-weeks significantly reduced the sperm count within 26 weeks and prevented pregnancy in 96% of cases.

During the trial the hormone-based jab was used by 320 men every two months, which reduced sperm count to one million per millilitre or fewer. Only four pregnancies occurred among the men's partners. Dr Mario Festin, of the World Health Organization, who carried out the study, said:

"The study found it is possible to have a hormonal contraceptive for men that reduces the risk of unplanned pregnancies in the partners of men who use it."

However, there was a significant number of reported side-effects, which forced scientists to stop enrolling new participants into the study in 2011. Researchers said more work was needed to address the treatment's reported side-effects, which included mood changes, depression, muscle pain, acne and an increased libido. Twenty men dropped out of the trial.

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Dr Festin said that more research is needed to advance this concept to the point that it can be made widely available to men as a method of contraception.

"Although the injections were effective in reducing the rate of pregnancy, the combination of hormones needs to be studied more to consider a good balance between efficacy and safety."

Scientists also plan to develop a body gel containing the same hormone dosage, which men can apply to their shoulder each morning.

Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, noted that there's certainly an unmet need for an effective reversible contraceptive for men, along the lines of the hormonal contraceptive for women:

"However, none of the preparations that have been developed and tested to date have managed to become a commercial reality for one reason or another."

He said the contraceptive in this study was "extremely effective and therefore certainly has promise" and that the number of side-effects seen was a concern. But added:

"It is noteworthy that 75% of the men who took part in the trial would be willing to use this method of contraception again. So perhaps the side-effects weren't all that bad after all."

So does this hope for a male contraceptive have any real promise? Professor John Guillebaud, Emeritus Professor of Family Planning and Reproductive Health at University College London doesn't think so. He says:

"Do I think this is promising? In a word: Not! Pharmaceutical company Organon (Now MSD) gave up a similar study around 10 years ago because of the same multiple side effects problems. I think Vasalgel, the clean sheets pills and a very recent study where sperm's ability to swim is 'switched off' is far more promising in my view as they all prevent fertilisation by already made sperm rather than targeting the body's way of making sperm themselves."

This study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, and published by the Endocrine Society.

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